framework for the future: workplace readiness skills in ......framework for the future: workplace...

Framework for the Future: Workplace Readiness Skills in Virginia

February 2019

Report written by Kathryn Piper Crespin

Research Team Kathryn Piper Crespin

Stephen Holzman

Amy Muldoon

Shonel Sen

Framework for the Future: Workplace Readiness Skills in Virginia 1

University of Virginia Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, Demographics Research Group

What are Virginia’s Workplace Readiness Skills and

Why Are They Important?

Virginia’s Workplace Readiness Skills are a set of personal qualities, people skills, and

professional abilities identified by Virginia employers and educators as essential for employee

success in the workplace. Developed and updated over the past 20 years to adapt to changing

workplace trends and needs, these skills are incorporated into the curriculum of every state

Career and Technical Education (CTE) course. They not only give students of diverse

backgrounds the opportunity to develop the personal resources they need to get and keep good

jobs, but they also help employers by providing them with entry-level workers who are well-

prepared to deal with a variety of workplace challenges. Additionally, since many students hone

these skills through hands-on work experience, the decreasing labor force participation and

increasing school enrollment of Virginia’s teens in recent decades1 means that school-based

workplace readiness skills programs will become an even more vital resource for CTE students

in the future.

Keeping Virginia’s Workplace Readiness Skills Up-to-Date

The Virginia Department of Education’s Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education, in

partnership with several organizations, has been sponsoring research on workplace readiness

skills in Virginia for more than 30 years. In each decade since the 1980s, hundreds of employers

throughout the Commonwealth have been interviewed or surveyed about what they believe are

the most essential workplace skills for entry-level workers to possess.

Initial research conducted in the mid-1980s revealed that employers believed workplace

readiness skills were at least as important as traditional academic and technical skills in

promoting workplace success. Another round of research conducted from 1993 to 1997 led to the

creation of Virginia’s first set of 13 workplace readiness skills, which were incorporated into the

curriculum of every Virginia CTE course in 1998. Based on research performed from 2008 to

2011, the original list of 13 skills was updated and expanded to 21 skills, and additional

curriculum and assessment resources were developed. Students can now demonstrate their

familiarity with the 21 skills and earn graduation credit and a digital badge by opting to take the

Workplace Readiness Skills for the Commonwealth Assessment Examination.

History of Workplace Readiness Skills Research in Virginia

2017 Virginia

Workplace

Readiness Skills:

Framework for

the Future

2011 Listening to

Employers,

Educating

Tomorrow’s

Workforce

1997

Virginia’s

Changing

Workplace

1985

Changing Job

Skills in Virginia



Current Workplace Readiness Skills for the Commonwealth

Personal Qualities and People Skills

1. POSITIVE WORK ETHIC: Comes to work every day on time, is willing to take direction, and is

motivated to accomplish the task at hand

2. INTEGRITY: Abides by workplace policies and laws and demonstrates honesty and reliability

3. TEAMWORK: Contributes to the success of the team, assists others, and requests help when

needed

4. SELF-REPRESENTATION: Dresses appropriately and uses language and manners suitable for the

workplace

5. DIVERSITY AWARENESS: Works well with all customers and coworkers

6. CONFLICT RESOLUTION: Negotiates diplomatic solutions to interpersonal and workplace

issues

7. CREATIVITY AND RESOURCEFULNESS: Contributes new ideas and works with initiative

Professional Knowledge and Skills

8. SPEAKING AND LISTENING: Follows directions and communicates effectively with customers

and fellow employees

9. READING AND WRITING: Reads and interprets workplace documents and writes clearly

10. CRITICAL THINKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING: Analyzes and resolves problems that arise in

completing assigned tasks

11. HEALTH AND SAFETY: Follows safety guidelines and manages personal health

12. ORGANIZATIONS, SYSTEMS, AND CLIMATES: Identifies “big picture” issues and his or her role

in fulfilling the mission of the workplace

13. LIFELONG LEARNING: Continually acquires new industry-related information and improves

professional skills

14. JOB ACQUISITION AND ADVANCEMENT: Prepares to apply for a job and to seek promotion

15. TIME, TASK, AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT: Organizes and implements a productive plan of

work

16. MATHEMATICS: Uses mathematical reasoning to accomplish tasks

17. CUSTOMER SERVICE: Identifies and addresses the needs of all customers, providing helpful,

courteous, and knowledgeable service

Technology Knowledge and Skills

18. JOB-SPECIFIC TECHNOLOGIES: Selects and safely uses technological resources to accomplish

work responsibilities in a productive manner

19. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: Uses computers, file management techniques, and

software/programs effectively

20. INTERNET USE AND SECURITY: Uses the Internet appropriately for work

21. TELECOMMUNICATIONS: Selects and uses appropriate devices, services, and applications



2017 Research Process and Results

In 2017, the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education continued Virginia’s long history

of data-driven evaluation of its workplace readiness skills framework by requesting that the

Demographics Research Group at the University of Virginia Weldon Cooper Center for Public

Service conduct research to identify and update the skills that are of most value to the state’s

many employers. This research consisted of three stages: 1) reviewing relevant literature to

identify and understand changing workplace trends; 2) analyzing numerous state and national

workplace readiness skill frameworks to evaluate how Virginia’s framework compares; and 3)

conducting a survey of Virginia employers and workforce professionals to get their feedback

about which workplace readiness skills are most critical for entry-level workers to have, now and

in the future.

LITERATURE REVIEW

As a first step, Weldon Cooper Center researchers conducted a review of more than 70 reports,

publications, websites, and other sources of information related to workplace trends and

readiness skills. Six key, interrelated trends emerged as having especially significant influence

on the changing needs and skill demands of the workplace:

• Information Revolution – The vast proliferation of data that now permeates every aspect of

our lives has enabled a rapid pace of technological innovation across industries and has

served as a driver of just about every other workplace trend listed below. Modern-day

workers must be willing and able to keep their information literacy and technology skills up-

to-date in order to know how to evaluate and apply this abundance of information effectively

in the course of performing their job duties.

• Automation – Although the increased automation of more routine workplace tasks has

displaced many workers, it has also increased the importance and weight within our economy

of workers who possess the more complex, non-routine reasoning and communication skills

that are not possible or cost-effective to automate.2 To be successful, all workers will need to

acquire the skills that will enable them to adapt to rapidly changing workplace needs,

processes, and technology.

• Globalization – The explosive growth of technology has created a more interdependent and

competitive global marketplace, forcing employers and workers alike to be more innovative

and nimble in response. To be successful in the 21st century, workers must cultivate their

ability to work collaboratively with diverse groups of people in a variety of constantly

changing work environments.

• Rapid and Continuous Innovation – Innovation is driven in part by consumer demand for

products and services that are customized or have new kinds of value added in terms of

quality, convenience, and variety.3 To remain competitive, providers of these products and



services must be creative, engage in “big picture” thinking with the needs of the end user in

mind, persevere when new ideas do not work out, and remain flexible and adaptable in the

face of constantly changing work conditions.

• Organizational Restructuring – Workplaces today are flatter and more flexible than in the

past, involving more “horizontal” and less “vertical” collaboration among team members.4

To succeed within this organizational structure, employees must not only engage strong

interpersonal skills to work successfully with diverse and changing sets of teams, but they

also must have excellent critical-thinking and problem-solving skills and be self-sufficient

enough to manage their own work.

• Time- and Power-Shifting5 – Major advancements in communication technology have

enabled workers to conduct both personal and job-related activities at any time, softening the

boundary between work and personal life. Although this unprecedented access to information

has empowered employees to demand more transparency from their employers, it has also

made it possible for employers to shift more of the planning and financial burdens associated

with job training, health care, and retirement to employees.

FRAMEWORK COMPARISON

Weldon Cooper Center analysts reviewed at least 25 state and national workplace skill

frameworks to assess how they compared to Virginia’s in terms of skill composition and length.

Although there were significant similarities among the various frameworks, each was unique in

some way. Frameworks differed in the number, type, specificity, and organization of included

skills—all interrelated factors that had an influence in determining the overall nature of each

framework. Individual skills contained in other frameworks were catalogued and indexed to one

or more of the 21 existing workplace readiness skills in Virginia’s framework using a research

tool designed for that purpose. Skills that did not have a corresponding match in Virginia’s

current framework were classified as potential possibilities for inclusion in the new, updated set

of skills.

SURVEY OF VIRGINIA EMPLOYERS AND WORKFORCE PROFESSIONALS

In 2017, nearly 2,400 Virginia employers and workforce professionals were invited to share their

opinions about Virginia’s Workplace Readiness Skills by participating in a brief online survey.

Nearly 400 invitees responded and completed the required portion of the survey.

Survey Development

Weldon Cooper Center researchers, in consultation with the State CTE Advisory Committee,

developed a slightly modified version of Virginia’s current skill framework for use in

conjunction with the survey. The modified version included two additional skills—Information

Literacy and Initiative & Self-Direction—to test whether survey respondents deemed these skills



worthy of inclusion in Virginia’s updated framework. It also incorporated slight changes to the

following skills: Creativity & Resourcefulness, Diversity Awareness, and Positive Work Ethic.

Current Skill Importance

Survey participants were first asked to rate the current importance of each workplace readiness

skill for entry-level workers in their respective organizations. Table 1 groups the skills according

to the importance rating selected by the greatest percentage of survey respondents and then lists

them in decreasing order of importance.

All but two skills were rated by most respondents as either “very important” or “extremely

important,” and no skills were rated by a majority of respondents as either “slightly important” or

“not at all important.” This suggests that skills featured in Virginia’s existing framework

continue to be viewed by employers and professionals as being important and relevant to current

workplace demands.

The 2017 survey results confirm that Virginia’s employers and workforce professionals continue

to believe, as they have for decades, that integrity, a positive work ethic, and strong

interpersonal, reasoning, and communication skills are the most important skills for entry-level

workers to possess.

Table 1. Current importance of workplace readiness skills

Extremely important Very important

Integrity Conflict Resolution

Positive Work Ethic Information Technology

Speaking and Listening Job-Specific Technologies

Teamwork Organizations, Systems, and Climates

Customer Service Creativity and Innovation

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Telecommunications

Reading and Writing

Respect for Diversity Moderately important

Time, Task, and Resource Management Mathematics

Initiative and Self-Direction Job Acquisition and Advancement

Information Literacy

Self-Representation

Internet Use and Security

Health and Safety

Lifelong Learning



Future Skill Importance

Survey participants were also asked to rate how important each of the workplace readiness skills

will be for entry-level workers in about five years from now. Table 2 groups the skills according

to the importance rating selected by the greatest percentage of survey respondents and then lists

them in decreasing order of importance. No skill had a majority of respondents say it would be

less important in the future.

Table 2. Future importance of workplace readiness skills

More important in the future About the same importance in the future

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Conflict Resolution

Information Technology Integrity

Initiative and Self-Direction Organizations, Systems, and Climates

Information Literacy Reading and Writing

Creativity and Innovation Health and Safety

Respect for Diversity Mathematics

Internet Use and Security Job Acquisition and Advancement

Teamwork Self-Representation

Lifelong Learning

Time, Task, and Resource Management

Job-Specific Technologies

Speaking and Listening

Customer Service

Positive Work Ethic

Telecommunications

Many of the workplace skills determined to be most important for entry-level workers to possess

in the future correspond with key workplace trends identified in the literature review:

The Information Technology, Information Literacy, and Internet Use and Security skills were

all ranked among the top ten most important skills for entry-level workers to possess in the

future, which aligns with the trend of information proliferation in the workplace.

Although Creativity and Innovation was ranked lower than most skills in terms of current

importance (20th of 23 skills), it ranked fifth in terms of future importance, a sign that

employers believe innovation will become an increasingly prevalent and essential element of

workplace success in the future.

A common theme reflected in all six of the key workplace trends identified in the literature

review was an expectation of continuous workplace change, which reinforces the ranking of

Lifelong Learning among the top ten most important skills for workers to possess in the

future.



Skill Deficiencies

In addition to rating the importance of Virginia’s Workplace Readiness Skills, survey

participants were asked to list up to five skills they believe today's entry-level employees are

lacking the most. Figure 1 shows for each skill the number of respondents who indicated it is

lacking among entry-level employees in the workplace.

More than 200 respondents said the skill most lacking among entry-level workers today is

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving (214). More than 100 respondents said the following

skills are most lacking: Positive Work Ethic (185); Initiative and Self-Direction (175); Time,

Task, and Resource Management (135); Speaking and Listening (121); Conflict Resolution (111); and

Customer Service (111).

Figure 1. Skills Most Lacking Among Entry-Level Employees

Eight of the top ten most lacking skills among entry-level employees were also ranked among

the ten most currently important skills—1) Critical Thinking and Problem Solving; 2) Positive

Work Ethic; 3) Initiative and Self-Direction; 4) Time, Task, and Resource Management; 5)

Speaking and Listening; 6) Customer Service; 7) Reading and Writing; and 8) Teamwork.

214

185

175

135

121

111

111

83

83

60

54

48

43

41

35

34

31

24

21

19

12

10

10

7

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

Positive Work Ethic

Initiative and Self-Direction

Time, Task, and Resource Management

Speaking and Listening

Conflict Resolution

Customer Service

Reading and Writing

Teamwork

Self-Representation

Integrity

Mathematics

Job-Specific Technologies

Creativity and Innovation

Lifelong Learning

Respect for Diversity

Information Literacy

Organizations, Systems, and Climates

Internet Use and Security

Information Technology

Job Acquisition and Advancement

Health and Safety

Other

Telecommunications

Number of Respondents Selecting Skill



Missing Skills and Open-Ended Comments

The survey also included questions about the skill framework itself. To determine what skills

might be missing from Virginia’s framework, survey participants were asked the open-ended

question, “What workplace readiness skills, if any, do you believe are missing from the current

framework and should be added?” Respondents were also given the chance to provide any

additional comments or thoughts they might have about workplace readiness skills in general.

A few of the most predominant themes among the responses to these two parts of the survey

were that students and entry-level workers need:

• More hands-on/real-life work experience

• Greater emphasis on work ethic/responsibility

• Better interpersonal skills

• More initiative/self-direction

Virginia’s New Workplace Readiness Skills

Based on findings from all three research components and input from Virginia’s CTE Advisory

Committee, the Weldon Cooper Center research team made the following recommendations for

enhancements to Virginia’s Workplace Readiness Skills:

• Add two new skills to the framework: Initiative and Self-Direction and Information Literacy.

• Eliminate one skill by merging Telecommunications into Information Technology.

• Modify the skill domains.

• Shift, merge, revise, and/or enhance key concepts of some skills while making minor

wording adjustments to the titles and definitions of others.

The Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education convened a panel of CTE administrators

and educators and curriculum development and assessment experts to review the Weldon Cooper

Center recommendations and to continue the process of refining the skills. As a result of their

collaborative efforts, a new set of Workplace Readiness Skills for the Commonwealth was

developed for adoption by the Virginia Board of Education (see page 9).

The refinements made to Virginia’s Workplace Readiness Skills through this research ensure that

they are up-to-date and aligned with the needs of Virginia’s employers. Although many of the

changes made to the framework reflect the changing nature of the modern-day workplace, the

research findings confirm that integrity, a positive work ethic, and strong interpersonal,

reasoning, and communication skills continue to be the most essential skills for entry-level

workers to possess, as they have for decades. As more CTE students turn to the classroom for

guidance on preparing them for the workplace, school-based workplace readiness skills programs

such as Virginia’s will become an even more vital resource for CTE students in the future.



NEW Workplace Readiness Skills for the Commonwealth

Personal Qualities and Abilities

1. CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION: Employs originality, inventiveness, and resourcefulness in the

workplace

2. CRITICAL THINKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING: Uses sound reasoning to analyze problems, evaluate

potential solutions, and implement effective courses of action

3. INITIATIVE AND SELF-DIRECTION: Independently looks for ways to improve the workplace and

accomplish tasks

4. INTEGRITY: Complies with laws, procedures, and workplace policies; demonstrates honesty, fairness, and

respect

5. WORK ETHIC: Consistently works to the best of one’s ability and is diligent, dependable, and accountable

for one’s actions

Interpersonal Skills

6. CONFLICT RESOLUTION: Negotiates diplomatic solutions to interpersonal and workplace issues

7. CUSTOMER SERVICE: Anticipates and addresses the needs of customers and coworkers, providing

thoughtful, courteous, and knowledgeable service

8. LISTENING AND SPEAKING: Listens attentively and asks questions to clarify meaning; articulates ideas

clearly in a manner appropriate for the setting and audience

9. RESPECT FOR DIVERSITY: Values individual differences and works collaboratively with people of diverse

backgrounds, viewpoints, and experiences

10. TEAMWORK: Shares responsibility for collaborative work and respects the thoughts, opinions, and

contributions of other team members

Professional Competencies

11. “BIG PICTURE” THINKING: Understands one’s role in fulfilling the mission of the workplace and considers

the social, economic, and environmental impacts of one’s actions

12. CAREER AND LIFE MANAGEMENT: Plans, implements, and manages personal and professional

development goals related to education, career, finances, and health

13. CONTINUOUS LEARNING AND ADAPTABILITY: Accepts constructive feedback and is open to new ideas

and ways of doing things; continuously develops professional skills and knowledge to adjust to changing job

requirements

14. EFFICIENCY AND PRODUCTIVITY: Plans, prioritizes, and adapts work goals to manage time and resources

effectively

15. INFORMATION LITERACY: Locates information efficiently, evaluates the credibility and relevance of

sources and facts, and uses information effectively to accomplish work-related tasks

16. INFORMATION SECURITY: Understands basic internet and email safety and follows workplace protocols to

maintain the security of information, computers, networks, and facilities

17. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: Maintains a working knowledge of devices, resources, hardware, software,

systems, services, applications, and IT conventions

18. JOB-SPECIFIC TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGIES: Knows how to select and safely use industry-specific

technologies, tools, and machines to complete job tasks effectively

19. MATHEMATICS: Applies mathematical skills to complete tasks as necessary

20. PROFESSIONALISM: Meets organizational expectations regarding work schedule, behavior, appearance,

and communication

21. READING AND WRITING: Reads and interprets workplace documents and writes effectively

22. WORKPLACE SAFETY: Maintains a safe work environment by adhering to safety guidelines and identifying

risks to self and others



Endnotes

1 Kathryn Crespin, “Youth labor force participation and workplace readiness in Virginia,”

StatChat (blog), December 21, 2017, http://statchatva.org/2017/12/21/youth-labor-force-

participation-and-workplace-readiness-in-virginia/.

2 Craig D. Jerald, “Defining a 21st Century Education,” The Center for Public Education, July

2009, http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.460.8011&rep=rep1&type=pdf,

7-8.

3 Anthony P. Carnevale, “21st Century Competencies: For College and Career Readiness,” 2013,

https://repository.library.georgetown.edu/handle/10822/559289, 6.

4 Jerald, “Defining a 21st Century Education,” 14.

5 W. Warner Burke, “What Human Resource Practitioners Need to Know for the Twenty-First

Century,” Human Resource Management (1986-1998) 36, no. 1 (1997): 71,

http://search.proquest.com/openview/4b083d70afcc073337bba09fb56f28ff/1?pq-

origsite=gscholar&cbl=34999, 75-77.

The Virginia Department of Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color,

national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, political affiliation, or against

otherwise qualified persons with disabilities. The policy permits appropriate employment

preferences for veterans and specifically prohibits discrimination against veterans. The following

position has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the Department’s non-discrimination

policies:

Director of Human Resources

Virginia Department of Education

P. O. Box 2120

Richmond, Virginia 23218-2120

Telephone: 804-225-2021

For further information on Federal non-discrimination regulations, contact the Office for Civil

Rights at [email protected] or call 1-800-421-3481.

© 2019 BY THE RECTOR AND VISITORS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA

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